18' Series Attaching the extended awning to anti-flap bar instead of annex wall

[Lozza T]

Hi All,
I have an extended awning which has been designed to zip onto the annex, however at a height that is too low for my liking. I ended up installing a centre pole to create a ridge in the middle to get my 6ft body to be able to cook dinner. Doing this though allows rain to be directed towards the annex and not ideal.
Refer following photo...



I want to be able to attach the awning to the anti-flap bar. As you can see on my photo above, I will get plenty of height as my OB is quite high and I will not have to use the centre pole. I found a photo on the Australian Wide Annex website and it is exactly how I want the set up. See next photo...



Is this a simple modification? Do I get another zip with a sail strip and attach somehow to the anti-flap bar?
Your thoughts please?

 

[Axl]

Hi All,
I have an extended awning which has been designed to zip onto the annex, however at a height that is too low for my liking. I ended up installing a centre pole to create a ridge in the middle to get my 6ft body to be able to cook dinner. Doing this though allows rain to be directed towards the annex and not ideal.
Refer following photo...

View attachment 50345

I want to be able to attach the awning to the anti-flap bar. As you can see on my photo above, I will get plenty of height as my OB is quite high and I will not have to use the centre pole. I found a photo on the Australian Wide Annex website and it is exactly how I want the set up. See next photo...

View attachment 50346

Is this a simple modification? Do I get another zip with a sail strip and attach somehow to the anti-flap bar?
Your thoughts please?

I have one of the Australia Wide Annex porches that attaches/slides into to my anti flap bar (pictured above), my anti flap bars have two sail tracks built into them are yours the same?

If yours have the sail tracks and I were thinking of doing what you want to do I would see if I could find someone that could make up a zip that could slide into the AFK sail track then you could zip your porch onto this, similar to what you have mentioned in your post.

This shouldn't be all that hard for someone who works with canvas or vinyl to do I wouldn't think, rope to suit sail track sewn in one side and a zip on the other.

 

[17triton]

Yep just ditch the zip and get the rope sewn in to go into the sail track. That's what ours has.

 

[Lozza T]

Thanks Axl & 17triton.
I do have the AFK with 2 sail tracks. Last time I used the annex I had the side wall in the bottom sail track.
See photo...

So I am assuming that the side wall goes into the top sail track and the extended roof awning (with the new sewn rope) goes into the bottom sail track. Correct? Would the awning interfere with the black handles on the outside?
Like the idea of removing the zip and adding a sewn rope to the awning!

 

[Axl]

Thanks Axl & 17triton.
I do have the AFK with 2 sail tracks. Last time I used the annex I had the side wall in the bottom sail track.
See photo...
View attachment 50348
So I am assuming that the side wall goes into the top sail track and the extended roof awning (with the new sewn rope) goes into the bottom sail track. Correct? Would the awning interfere with the black handles on the outside?
Like the idea of removing the zip and adding a sewn rope to the awning!

@17triton 's idea is the go, Yep annex wall in top track and porch in bottom track, once the porch is up you cant get to the black handles (see pic below) on the anti flap bar but that doesn't matter as once the anti flap bar is set there is no need to touch it again till pack up.

 

[warren cook]

I have the same annex from Australia wide annex and set the porch up for the second time last week.

We found that you have to have the porch on the same angle as the awning roof line all the way to the front poles and this will eliminate any sagging either side of the cross bar, just a tip, doesn't feel natural as you would normally want the front trim to be horizontal but trust me it turns out better and will not pool any rain in the sagging bits and keeps everything taunt.

Get the rope sewn in properly and run it through the front channel on the AFK, you run it through the same way as the walls by entering in the gap mid way on the bar so make sure you have some flexibility in the rope to do this or it will be very difficult.

You will also see that it can get a little taunt on the black turn knob on the AFK but should be ok.

We also got a nice floor mat with the purchase which I was not expecting.

 

[KECL]

I have a similar set-up to @warren cook ; one thing I did notice was my AFK was trying to 'twist itself' out of the metal bracket on the side of the van. Not sure if anyone else has noticed this on their set-up? Maybe I was putting too much tension on Annex - noting the front bar of the AFK was twisting clockwise (as you look at the van).